Hanwha General Insurance has taken proactive steps to support its elderly customers, who face significant challenges in the rapidly evolving non-face-to-face financial environment, earning widespread acclaim. This initiative was born from the observation that 78.7% of visitors to its customer service centers are aged 60 or older, prompting the company to provide practical assistance. The program goes far beyond simple knowledge transfer, featuring a hands-on approach where participants directly interact with smartphones to learn. Seniors from the Gyeonggi region, including Incheon, Bucheon, and Bupyeong, gathered at the headquarters training center to learn new technologies with bright smiles. For those who had previously given up on insurance claims or policy inquiries due to small fonts and complex procedures, this session was a timely and valuable opportunity. There is a high likelihood that such tailored support activities will expand nationwide, generating great anticipation among many.
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Hanwha General Insurance Helps Senior Customers with Smartphone Use Through Digital Financial Education
1. Background of the Digital Finance School for Elderly Customers
As non-face-to-face financial transactions have become the daily standard, what feels effortless to younger generations presents a massive barrier for the elderly. While it is said that all tasks can be handled with just a few taps on a smartphone without visiting a bank or insurance company, the reality is that many seniors feel overwhelmed when facing a smartphone screen. Amidst this social shift, voices have grown louder calling for companies to take active steps to ensure no demographic is left behind. Indeed, an analysis of the age demographics of Hanwha General Insurance’s branch visitors revealed that customers aged 60 and above account for nearly 80%, an overwhelmingly high proportion. This clearly indicates that many seniors still rely on offline branches or the help of others rather than digital devices. It was this urgent voice from the field that served as the starting point for this educational program, which was immediately put into action.
The psychological pressure seniors feel when unfamiliar words appear on a smartphone screen is far greater and heavier than one might imagine. Due to the anxiety of accidentally pressing the wrong button and losing money, it is not uncommon to find people who refuse to install mobile apps altogether. For the elderly, physically traveling long distances to visit branches for banking or insurance matters is a significant burden. Many feel frustrated because, although they could learn quickly if someone were there to explain everything step by step, they often lack someone to ask. This recently held education session precisely targeted these painful points, incorporating meticulous care tailored to the seniors’ perspective.
Tailored education was launched to reflect the high rate of offline branch usage among the elderly (60+) who are being left behind in the non-face-to-face transition.
2. Tailored Smartphone Practice Through 1-on-1 Matching
Seniors residing in the Incheon, Bucheon, and Bupyeong areas gathered at the Gyeonggi Regional Headquarters training center, sitting down with anticipation. The biggest feature and pride of this education was that exclusive agents paired up one-on-one with the seniors to provide close guidance. Immediately after the instructor’s general explanation, participants took out their own smartphones and continued practicing by directly pressing the screen. They gradually learned how to file insurance claims using mobile apps, which they had previously found difficult to read due to small fonts. As the agents patiently explained how to navigate the screen and enlarge text, matching the seniors’ level, smiles bloomed on their faces.
It was a time to fully master everything from the seemingly complex policy inquiry procedures to connecting with staff via video consultation. Encouraged by the agents who held their hands and spared no praise, the seniors participated in the class more actively. The session also included time for detailed consultations on their current insurance coverage and benefits. Participants expressed that hearing clearly how their premiums are used and what benefits they can expect in the future made them feel secure.
Participants learned to file insurance claims and check policies via mobile apps through hands-on practice matched one-on-one with exclusive agents.
3. Harmony with Health Lectures to Soothe Tired Bodies and Minds
Rather than proceeding with only rigid financial education, a special health lecture was included to warmly comfort the tired body and mind of old age. The session explained in easy-to-understand terms how to wisely overcome physical pain and mental fatigue that naturally come with aging. In particular, lymph therapy methods using tools to gently release tense muscles in daily life were extremely popular among attendees. The seniors’ expressions brightened as they followed the instructor’s demonstration, holding tools to gently massage their necks and shoulders and feeling the relief.
The program was structured with the philosophy that while acquiring financial knowledge is important, a healthy body and mind are essential for a vibrant retirement. The health lecture gently unlocked the tension in the hearts of those who had been slightly stressed about adapting to the complex digital world, making the atmosphere in the training center much more lively. Even after the class ended, the seniors exchanged massage techniques and chatted joyfully, showing off the smartphone skills they had learned that day. This program, which successfully achieved both financial and health goals, gifted participants with unforgettable, special memories.
In addition to financial education, special health lectures, including lymph therapy, were conducted to care for senior health, receiving a great response.
4. Vivid Reactions and On-Site Atmosphere of Participants
When they first entered the training center, the seniors’ hands seemed clumsy and anxious as they touched their smartphones, but their eyes grew brighter over time. They showed a sense of great pride in being able to file insurance claims themselves without bothering their children. One senior expressed that they had never dared to try doing anything on a smartphone because the screen was too small and complex, but they had definitely learned the “secret” today. They repeatedly expressed gratitude to the agent who had kindly looked after them and actively voiced their hope for more such opportunities in the future.
Those present on site also unanimously expressed a deep sense of fulfillment at the seniors’ enthusiastic learning spirit and high satisfaction. It was truly beautiful to see them going beyond a one-time event to genuinely delve into customers’ lives and resolve practical difficulties. The sense of achievement from mastering a smartphone screen boosted the seniors’ self-esteem and had a positive ripple effect, leading to increased confidence in their daily lives. The passionate challenge of the seniors, who proved with their whole being that there is no age limit to learning, left a deep impression on everyone around them.
Participants showed high satisfaction along with a sense of achievement from being able to use smartphones independently.
5. Future Expansion Plans and Corporate Social Responsibility
This Digital Finance School, which successfully cut the ribbon in the Gyeonggi region, is preparing to visit seniors in many more areas. This is because there are numerous senior customers waiting for a helping hand in other major regions across the country, not just in Incheon and Bucheon. Based on the valuable data obtained from operating this program and the vivid opinions of participants, the company plans to further enrich and refine the educational content. They are accelerating their efforts to expand the program nationwide so that more elderly people can confidently enjoy the benefits of digital finance without being left behind.
Such initiatives are essential for companies to fulfill their social responsibilities and position themselves as reliable partners to customers, going beyond simple profit pursuit. Given the nature of insurance, long-term trust relationships with customers are paramount, and such sincere activities contribute significantly to enhancing brand value. Lowering the barrier to financial services and creating an environment where everyone can use them conveniently without discrimination is the core of true customer-centric management. We look forward to continued efforts to support customers’ healthy daily lives and bridge the digital divide between generations.
Based on the successful operation in the Gyeonggi region, the educational content will be refined, with plans to expand the program nationwide in the future.
6. Warm Companionship in the Era of Digital Finance
This is a model case of overcoming the pessimistic outlook that in a rapidly changing world, some are inevitably left behind and marginalized, by filling the space with warm energy. This activity proved that as technology advances, the distance between people can actually become closer rather than farther. It is a highly encouraging change that seniors have overcome the high wall of digital technology to communicate more actively with the world and take charge of their own lives. Having witnessed how a small education can brilliantly change an individual’s daily life, efforts from all sectors of society need to spread further in the future.
If you, dear readers, have parents or seniors around you who struggle with smartphone use, why not try passing on what you have learned today with a warm touch? Small acts of interest and patient teaching will become the cornerstone for building a warm and equal digital financial society where no one is left behind. We need everyone’s continuous attention until the day when all senior customers in Korea smile, with Hanwha General Insurance’s warm challenge serving as the spark. In the midst of the wave of change, the wise attitude of holding hands and moving forward together so that no one is left alone shines brighter than ever.
Continuous attention is needed to reduce the digital divide between generations and create a warm financial environment where everyone lives together.
Frequently Asked Questions
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